CSPA graduate Kellen Browning named National Journalist of the Year

Kellen Browning of Davis High, a 2015 graduate of the CSPA Journalism Workshop, has been selected as National High School Journalist of the Year by the Journalism Education Association.

Julia Poe, a 2014 CSPA graduate, won the same award last year.

Browning, a senior, is the website editor-in-chief for his school newspaper and also works for the Davis Enterprise newspaper. Browning was one of the top students at last year’s workshop and, in recognition of his all-around work, he was given the Ralph Alexander Award in honor of one of CSPA’s founders.

Browning previously had been selected as California Journalist of the Year, and as part of that contest, Browning submitted a portfolio of his work and displayed a variety of skills.

The JEA, which sponsored the award, said Browning’s portfolio “included breaking news, profiles, features and video on a wide range of topics, from the arrest of a teacher for sexual battery, to a district decision to demolish a multipurpose room used intensively by disabled students, literally leaving them out in the rain.’’

The latter story influenced the local school district to build a new multipurpose room, and Browning’s work earned a JEA Student Impact Award for Browning and colleague Grace Richey.

According to the JEA, one judge, photo teacher and magazine adviser Betsy Snow from Menlo-Atherton High, said Browning showed “mature understanding of the journalistic relationships that go along with doing stories that don’t necessarily please your audience.’’

Browning also received a scholarship from the Sacramento Bee.

The 65th-annual CSPA Workshop will be held on the campus of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, from July 10-22.